Boil order lifted for beef plant

OLYMPIA – The state Health Department has lifted an order that required the Washington Beef LLC packing plant at Toppenish to boil the water it uses.

Lab tests had found coliform bacteria in the plant’s water system. The state on Tuesday issued the boil order, but later tests found the water met safe drinking-water standards, and the order was lifted Friday.

After the order was issued, Washington Beef voluntarily recalled more than 80,000 pounds of beef as a precaution because it may have been exposed to the contaminated water.

Most of the meat was never distributed to consumers.

The 82,286 pounds of beef, produced on June 11, were distributed to wholesalers, processors and retail institutions in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho.

Testing showed no product contamination, and there were no reports of illness.